Chelmsford board rejects regional dispatch plan

By Mark Schulertchelmsford@wickedlocal.com

Tuesday

Sep 11, 2018 at 5:12 PMSep 12, 2018 at 3:52 PM

The town will not be joinng a regional public safety dispatch group with Dracut and Tewksbury, following a public hearing in which residents expressed concerns about safety, efficiency and potential job loss.

The Board of Selectmen voted 3-2 on Sept. 10 against the measure; Selectmen Emily Antul and Pat Wojtas voted in favor of it.

Selectmen Chairman Glenn Diggs broke the tie, voting against the plan. Diggs said, "I believe in regionalization, but I don’t believe it is the right time to do it."

The vote came after the continued hearing on a proposal for the town to join the North Middlesex Regional Emergency Communications Center.

Weighting costs, benefits

Before the vote, the board heard many concerns.

Dispatcher Shawn Brewer said that the current system is staffed with skilled professionals and is working well. Brewer expressed fears that a regional dispatch system would create confusion as dispatchers needed to learn the geography of a new and unfamiliar area.

Brewer reported a recent call in which a dispatcher recognized the voice of a firefighter in trouble and was able to send help.

Town Meeting Representative Brian Latina described reporting a car crash in Andover in the dark. Latina said he was asked, "What’s the street name?" in a location without street signs. Latina said the experience illustrated concerns about working with dispatchers unfamiliar with local roads or landmarks.

"The savings here is dangerous," Latina said. "If we lose one life because somebody in Dracut didn’t quite understand the directions that an elderly person gave to describe where the house is, we’re in trouble."

Town Manager Paul Cohen presented a report, dubbed the Northern Middlesex Regional Emergency Communications Center, at the board's July 23 meeting. Dracut and Tewksbury signed a pact to join in November 2015.

Groundbreaking on the new, 6,400 square-foot center on Whipple Road in Tewksbury begins next fall. Cohen said the state will fund the entire cost to build and equip the facility, and a salary for an executive director one year before start up and for the first year of operations.

In the presentation, Cohen said joining could have several benefits, including increased communications capabilities and staff capacity during emergencies, a modern and efficient facility, and cost savings.